I agree with you to some extent, and I have party voted ACT in the past, as well as the Libertarianz, but the real issue for me this election is simply getting rid of Labour. I don’t think that whats left of our freedoms and rights will survive another three years of Clark’s Stalinist thuggery. Given a number of factors to consider, National’s tax cuts are better than nothing, they will help many who are currently struggling, and are aimed at gaining power. This time around, that suits me.

This is, for the foreseeable future, always going to be a problem with those of us with radical political and economic views (I favour the Austrian school myself), but its the sad price of being a lion in a nation of sheep.

A Mafia thug comes to your store and forces you to hand over a weekly sum of money. They tell you that this is for your own “protection”, so the Mafia can “look after you”.

Employer “contributions” to kiwisaver amount to the same thing. Of course, so do all forms of compulsory taxation.

The ethical term for this is the initiation of force. Being told that the use of this force is “for your own good” or “the good of the country” does not change the fact that its jackbooted political thuggery.

Now to be fair National will not really be changing this situation much, but at least they will move in the right direction, and at least they hold their noses while doing it, whereas Helen and Cullen positively get off on it.

This is one of the reasons why I don’t think John Key should be PM without supervision.
The 2% was a good entry, though he shouldn’t have needed too.
(Labour didn’t consult properly so that’s why it wasn’t started like that in the beginning).

The fact that John key is looking for wiggle room with our Kiwisaver points to his unsuitability for PM.
I don’t trust Him with mine and therefore probably won’t vote National as a result.

Don’t say you weren’t warned.

i hope National get rid of working for families in their second term and just give everyone a bigger tax cut.

I’m with you on that one dime. Bludging for Families needs to be scrapped. The whole 39c tax rate needs to be scrapped as well, not just reduced piecemeal so you can appear to be “doing something”. The top tax rate should be 30c to match the company tax rate.

Until National gets real about tax I’ll still be giving my party vote to ACT.

New Zealander’s were stupid enough to vote for Labour and see what a mess the economy is in now. All the additional deadweight loss of WFF, interest free student loans and the expense of Kiwisaver (or is that Kiwiloser in the current market?) and National can barely bring itself to reverse any of it.

This is what happens when people vote for Welfare over tax cuts. At least they are literally paying for their mistakes. It’s called actions and consequences people.

and, unlike National’s, it will involve a personal income tax regime that proportionately gives more to those on lower incomes that to those on $70K+

Wait a second. People on $30K are getting a 27% reduction. People on $70K are getting a 16.3% reduction. These facts are not what you think they are perhaps?

Good Communist agenda to bring everyone down to the lowest common demoninator like Phul. We wouldn’t want people with aspirations would we?

the bulk of Nationals tax cuts has gone to middle income earners, not to “the rich”, so I cannot see the point your trying to make. The mantra of “tax cuts for the rich” just does not apply here. I’m in that low-middle income bracket, I’m not remotely rich or even well off, and Nationals plan puts far more in my pocket. Of course I would like to have a great deal more of my money back, but this is a good start.

There are only two forms of truly just tax, a flat one, or none at all. But one step at a time.

To your other point, governments have no business aiding business at all, big or small. Any alliance between the dollar and the gun is always a bad idea and leads to political and economic corruption.

If that happens we will need income splitting to ensure families aren’t forgotten about.

Will part of this uncosted tax package be to give more to beneficiaries and bludgers?

National know they just need to keep going softly softly and they will win the election.

if they got rid of working for families.. they would be down to 45% (i think anyway).

i hate benefits for families with all my heart. its a disgrace. if i had kids, im not sure i would apply for it (if i qualified).

Lee, that should answer one half of your question. The other half is that the Greens want to support big business (and small business) to do things that are innovative, add value, and environmentally sound. Where we have arguments with big business is when they pollute or degrade the environment and/or treat their workers like shit.